


Platonic

by MerchantOfVenice



Category: British Comedy RPF
Genre: British cabaret, F/M, Frisky and Mannish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-06
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-25 20:03:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/957072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerchantOfVenice/pseuds/MerchantOfVenice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was never really confronted; unspoken and generally ignored. But with a living relationship as close as theirs, occasionally one stops to consider things...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Platonic

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little oneshot about my favourite Fringe act. If the two people in question are reading this, I offer my humblest and most sincere apologies. If anyone is able to inform them of the existence if this fanfiction, please don’t.

She'd never really stopped to consider it. 

Well, she'd been asked before, of course, it was an obvious question and general misunderstanding/delusion among the audience, but usually when faced with an eager expression and persistent pestering, she'd giggle and shrug it off, tone turning as serious as she could get in her wig and corset near the end.

He was very much the same, insisting that he was really quite gay, and so it was impossible. The truth is, it was an automatic reaction on his part as well.

However, something on this occasion made her stop and think. It was becoming increasingly hard to think as Laura when dressed as Frisky, and it seemed that the wig and fascinator were embedding images of bright lights, glitter, loud, flamboyant music, cross-dressers, cheering, drunk audiences, high heels and high tops, tight leather, microphones and all the pop knowledge one could possibly possess into her currently vacant brain. All the Oxford training, all the intelligence and general knowledge, all of the duty and decency and seriousness and maturity vanished like sobriety at the Fringe festival. She went completely into character and had to retreat into the "real" part of her mind (although they often became rather muddled).

Hmm, need she contemplate this? Probably not but contemplating not contemplating something was rather counterproductive. Yes, she conceded, living together was rather personal, but they were as anyone else in the same situation would be; living as roommates, working as partners, bickering like a married couple and laughing like best friends. It was fun! And so much easier than living apart and driving round to see each other all the time!

It was great, she had to admit, the little life they'd managed to forge together, with a few other essential people. What started off as a mad, part-time venture became their profession and livelihood. This was their life, which the other seemed to feature in predominantly. She enjoyed his company, as she enjoyed most people's, the small pleasures of living with your best friend; the impromptu performances, the take-aways on a night in, meeting with mutual friends, bitching about mutual friends, days off, gigs far away, predicting each other's actions, nagging each other about the tiniest things, arguing over the shopping or TV channel, or set list, shared stage make up, watching their own publicity increase, shooting all their videos and slowly living out their lives without a care in the world.

She loved that, the domestic things, she hated them too, of course. They were both huge personalities so clashes occurred all too frequently. Sometimes she just wanted someone else, someone who was hers and not his, someone she could live with in mutual respect, someone to consider in an entirely different category to Matthew, someone slightly camp and fun, interested in what she did, who loved her to bits, accepted her best friend, and was, of course, phenomenal in bed.

Too much to ask? She doubted it would ever happen anyway, he/she didn't exist, as per bloody usual.

She thought about voicing this thought to the stranger posing the question, but thought better of it.

Matthew had once said, in response to her bringing up this subject, that it was an odd relationship they had, and so people were bound to presume, or at least wonder. After this casual remark, he off-handedly asked her to do his eye makeup, as most of the mirror was obscured by hairspray.

Thoughts turned to touches. That was something she'd certainly never stopped to think about. Obviously, stage chemistry was essential, and it was a whole different thing out there under the spotlight. Whether it was bumping in to each other, hands on one another's shoulders, lacing up her corset or openly fondling her for the routine, it was so accepted and a considered _necessity_ that she questioned why it would be a problem. On stage, touches were forceful, deliberate and over exaggerated as stage movements have to be, whereas at home, it was much more casual; hair ruffles, pats of greeting, brushing of skin when working around each other, hugs of comfort or happiness, and the occasional supportive one, and leaning against each other while watching TV. She never gave a second thought to those things, that's what friends do, right? They mess with each other's hair and hold hands when it's needed, hug regularly and share the small sofa.

They'd bring people home sometimes. It had been a while, since they had been so busy, but whenever one of them turned up with a date, there was a routine for that too. If he found her note, he'd leave her to it, and if she saw him coming home with another guy, she'd wink at him and smirk to herself and try to get out of the house for a bit. It would help to reassure herself that he _was_ in fact gay. He was probably more sure of himself on that subject than her.

But that wasn't who this eager-looking person knew. She knew only of red wigs and leather corsets and piano necklaces and the campness that comes with cabaret. She knew two people who didn't exist off the stage, and on stage, well...

There was no Mannish without Frisky, and no Frisky without Mannish. One half of a comedy _duo_ was totally pointless; they needed one another to reflect their own energy and to match them in character, to harmonise perfectly with their voices and to bounce off each other. It was just what they had chosen to do, form a double act, and they worked so well because there was that edge, that chemistry, that undeniable sexuality which _did_ leave the audience questioning.

With Laura and Matthew it would definitely be awkward; all uncertain fumbling and hesitant touches. Frisky and Mannish would be something much different; all the fire and energy and attraction exploding simultaneously. Because of this, filming videos or posing for photo shoots could put both parties in an equally confusing mind set. They weren't on stage, but they were usually in costume, or acting at least, and it muddled boundaries up. The strange and altogether awkward curiosity one holds for their best friend always seemed to make itself known during these times, when they had no audience to focus on. So when it comes to The Ballad of Eileen, she feels oddly comfortable being so domestic with him, and during The Carpenters Vs Grime filming, he can't help noticing that she looks rather _fantastic_ , controversially in a non-Frisky way...

She mentally shrugged; all part of the lifestyle. Who needs labels? Navigating through darkness _is_ easier with a torch, but the straight beam does somewhat take the fun out of the escapade. She doesn't care, and she's pretty sure he doesn't either. Playful, friendly touches, inside jokes, shared smirks and off-hand remarks come second nature to them both, and though it may seem odd to one outside of their loop, they hardly notice it.

So what if every time she tries to imagine herself 10 years on, he's always present? So what if he enjoys messing around with others but is never truly comfortable unless she's there? It doesn't necessarily mean anything that they're so close they display characteristics like they’re the same person, or how much they rely on each other, or they're counted as a single entity by many, or that plenty of potential romantic involvements on both sides have been driven away by jealousy from the amount of time the pair spend together. Like she had said, it's their life, and their unity was an important part of it.

Of course, this being said, when playing Frisky, feeling a bit more adventurous and having to smear some of her lipstick around his mouth for their Kate Bash video, well, she was hardly one to waste an opportunity...

So she smirked at the wide-eyed girl who had asked the question and formulated a sufficient answer.

"Us? A couple? Ah, well that would be telling."


End file.
